Quatrefoil Library – Minnesota’s Historical LBGTQIA+ Library Celebrates 40th Anniversary

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided

A Discussion with Karen Hogan, Head Librarian, Katie Hagen, Library Manager and Iggy Gehlen, Vice President

Founded in 1986, Quatrefoil Library is among the longest operating free LGBTQIA+ lending-libraries in the country. Right here in Minneapolis, we have an amazing repository of vibrant LGBTQIA+ literature, history, and community – library cards and memberships are, let me emphasize, free for patrons! Quatrefoil Library isn’t just a collection of books; it’s a living archive and a vital hub. We discussed a number of topics with Head Librarian, Karen Hogan, Vice President Iggy Gehlen and Library Manager, Katie Hagen.

Continue reading to learn the history of Quatrefoil, the milestones along the way to the 40th anniversary and why the library is essential - not just to Minneapolis patrons, but for a growing U.S. and global audience. Check out their hours and visit the library at 1220 E Lake Street, or peruse the online catalog.

Karen Hogan representing Quatrefoil Library at East Central Minnesota Pride, June 2026

Q: What inspired the founding of Quatrefoil, and what community need was it created to address?

Karen: Quatrefoil Library was founded by Dick Hewetson and David Irwin. Dick often shares the story of how, early on, David was deeply concerned about people discovering gay materials when they visited. To keep things discreet, Dick suggested they tuck their gay materials in their linen closet. As word spread among their friends, more people began borrowing books, and the idea of creating a formal lending library took shape. In 1983, over brunch with four friends, they brainstormed and started drafting plans to bring the library to life, which came to fruition in 1986.

Quatrefoil Banner in the Gay Pride March, Minneapolis,1988. Dick Hewetson, second from right in white shirt, David Irwin, in red striped shirt. Other names unknown.

In essence, Quatrefoil was founded by gay booklovers who had a difficult time finding material reflecting the lives and positive stories of gay people. If someone was closeted, they didn't want to be seen buying gay books, or felt uneasy asking a librarian to borrow such materials. 

Q: When you look back over four decades, what moments stand out as defining milestones?

Karen: Four decades! So many things have happened – here’s a quick list: 

• 1980s Sharing space with MCLU, then moving to 1619 Dayton Avenue in St. Paul. Added VHS tapes to collection, circulated movies. AIDS crisis - books and information documenting the response.
• 1990s First computer catalog is used. Better access to what is in the collection and management of circulation. 10th Anniversary. Funding with Community Shares of Minnesota/PFund.
• 2000s Email, first website created. More outreach beyond the library. Hengel gift. Creation of the Endowment Fund.
• 2010s Move to 1220 East Lake Street in Minneapolis. We now have a Community Room - space for events! Give to the Max and online giving help with funding. Marriage equality passes. Social media.
• 2020s COVID/George Floyd uprising in our front yard. Library closed. Curb-side pickup. Free membership. QDigital - ebook and audiobook collection. Library Manager position created. Intentional about Board diversity and recruitment. 45/47 Presidency. Metro Surge. 

Davina Baldwin, library volunteer, during the move into the Richards Gordon School Building, late 1980s.

Q: How has the role of LGBTQIA+ libraries changed since the library opened in 1986?

Karen: In 1986 it was possible to buy every new gay book published - because there were not a whole lot of them. We were minor characters in someone else's story, often hidden or coded. In 2026, we have major publishers, many more genres (romance, mystery, graphic novels, comics, biography, history, theory) and available for many more age groups (looking at your Middle Grade fiction). Half the books we acquire are written by writers of color - which was not the case in 1986. Gay white and male were the bulk of the collection. We are also not the sole source. Public libraries have a much better selection (until the current Presidency). The internet has opened a whole new avenue to self-publishing/fan fiction/short form video, beyond just books.

Katie: In addition to Karen’s comments, Quatrefoil specifically has become a community space where people can meet with their club, their organizing group, or just casually meet with their friends. Part of our purpose is to be a barrier-free space where people can gather in the community. You don’t have to pay a fee or be a member to use our space. This is rare to find in our metropolitan area, and it’s another way we seek to be accessible to our community. 

Q: What challenges has Quatrefoil faced over the years, and how did the community help overcome them?

Karen: Even after 40 years in MN we still have people who have never heard of us. We do not want to be the Best Kept Queer Secret! Outreach, social media, and our Q Digital collection help make the library available outside the physical building. Funding! We are funded by the community, not tax dollars like a public library. We have established an Endowment Fund to help us get beyond the pass-the-hat-at-the-Board-meeting-to-make-rent days. A large donation from Peter Hengel plus the endowment campaign changed our finances for the better. Please support Quatrefoil.

Q: What does it mean to be one of the oldest LGBTQIA+ lending libraries in the United States?

Iggy: We are honored to be gifted this history and this intergenerational experience of our collection and our space that connects us very tangibly with the history of queer communities and movements in the United States. We see ourselves as stewards of the stories in our collection and the space we exist in on Lake Street. We hope to continue the legacy of curating a space by and for the LGBTQIA+ community here in Minnesota and look forward to continuing to expand reach so people of all ages and backgrounds can access queer history, stories, and community connections old and new.

Q: What role has Quatrefoil played in preserving Minnesota's LGBTQIA+ history?

Karen: We are more of a lending library than traditional archive, but our members hold a lot of "institutional memory" of gay life of the past. We have books that tell the story of the last 100 years.

Q: What have you learned from the generations of LGBTQIA+ people who have passed through your doors?

Iggy: It is a rare gift to participate in a physical space with decades of history that is historically and presently also intergenerational. As volunteers and patrons of the space we learn from each other all the time about local history, personal stories and anecdotes, recommendations on people’s favorite pieces in the collection, and how to foster new connections and create new ideas in a space that is constantly growing and changing based on who takes the time to be in the space.

Q: Are there rare or unique items in the collection that visitors might be surprised to discover?

Karen: I think visitors are surprised to see the newly published popular books ready for checkout. We purchase between 10-20 new books per month.

Unique items include our Pulp Fiction collection, newsletters from queer organizations (Gay atheists, Gay Rodeo, Outwoods, Out To Brunch), Damron Travel guides listing the gay bars and "cruising areas" from the 1960s & 70s. Der Kreis - a journal from Switzerland (1940s era) written in 4 languages. Our founder Dick Hewetsen's autobiography, I Don't Remember My Childhood-I've Always Been Old.

Q: Have there been books, films, or collections that generated particularly strong community interest over the years?

Karen: Every year, one of the top circulated books in our collection is The History of the Quatrefoil Library, covering the first 20 years of our history. And the novel that inspired the name of the library Quatrefoil by James Barr. The hottest novel this year is the hockey romance series Heated Rivalry.

DVD physical media is having a resurgence. Many films and TV series have not made it to streaming video (or are too expensive!). 

Q: How has the library adapted to changes in technology, publishing, and community needs?

Karen: We have moved from pocket cards and stamps to an automated circulation system. We’ve also moved from binders with lists of titles and authors to an online catalog. VHS has been phased out for DVDs – and we’re actively adding to the collection. Streaming video is too expensive and licensing restrictions prevent us from sharing. We’ve added ebooks and audiobooks in 2023 to expand our reach beyond the physical library.

Katie: Changes in technology and publishing have changed the way we can connect with people. We now have Q Digital – our eBook and audiobook collection on Libby. This collection allows us to bring queer literature to anyone with the Libby app and a Quatrefoil Library card. We regularly get membership applications from people all over the United States and even internationally. In the past 2 months since launching an online membership application, Quatrefoil has received over 60 new members who live internationally. People are discovering us on social media and book recommendation sites like Pagebound. Many people don’t have access to these materials through their own local libraries for various reasons. They might live in a conservative area, or they may be afraid to check out a physical book from their library. Quatrefoil’s digital collection on Libby provides both knowledge and entertainment – just as our founders intended in 1986. Except now we can provide that to an audience around the world.

The 40th Anniversary Fundraiser event is October 16!

Q: What does this 40th anniversary of Quatrefoil mean to the people who built and sustained Quatrefoil over the decades?

Karen: It means a great deal - the 40th Anniversary! - we are still here and still needed. Book bans and challenges are an unfortunate reality for school and public libraries. Since we are independent, we are able to be expansive and wide-ranging in our collection.

Katie: It is remarkable that a volunteer-run organization can say they’ve been around for 40 years, and I think that is proof of how much our community cares about Quatrefoil’s mission and purpose. We care about our community’s history, about providing a safe space for people to gather, and giving people access to information through our library’s collection. It was important in 1986 when Quatrefoil was founded and it’s still important today because queer history is still being erased.

Q: Let’s look into the future. Forty years from now, what do you hope people will say about Quatrefoil Library's impact on Minnesota and the LGBTQIA+ community?

Karen: 2066 seems unfathomable to me! I will most likely not still be on the planet. But it is quite a legacy to be part of a volunteer-run and community-supported institution for this long. I hope we'll be reading books about how we survived this administration, racism, climate change, homophobia and how we built a better world.

Q:  How may we best support your library and follow your news?

A:  Please follow our Facebook and Instagram accounts for more announcements. We will have many events to recognize our 40th Anniversary – please sign up for our newsletter, and please include Quatrefoil in your annual giving!